Portable boat dock



Feb. 3, 1970 A. A. PEARSON 3,492,325

PORTABLE- BOAT DOCK Filed June 28. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Feb. 3,1970 I A. A. PEARSON- PORTABLE sou DOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1968 INVENTOR i- Zl MMM/ may ,2 PERM L L l...

ATTORNEYS;

United States Patent O 3,492,825 PORTABLE BOAT DOCK Arthur A. Pearson, Fairfield, Mont. 59436 Filed June 28, 1968, Ser. No. 741,129 Int. Cl. E021) 3/06, 3/20 US. Cl. 61-48 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Portable boat docks have long been known in the prior art, but in general, these docks either require special tools in their assembly or are supported on piles driven into the bottom of the body of water where the dock is to be used. Floating docks have also been known, but these docks are usually of such a tremendous weight and size as to require special equipment for moving them from place to place.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a portable foldable floating dock which can be easily carried in the luggage compartment of an average size motor vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dock of the class described above which is light in weight and which can be assembled and made ready for use by using only a hammer to drive anchoring stakes.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention shown in position for use;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross-section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the invention shown partially broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevation of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the inner end of the dock shown partially broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a detail of the invention shown partially broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of a detail of the invention shown partially broken away for convenience of illustration; and

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 99 of FIGURE 8 looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally a portable boat dock constructed in accordance with the invention.

3,492,825 Patented Feb. 3, 1970 The portable boat dock 20 includes a generally rectangular box-like float section 21 having end walls 22, 23, side walls 24, 25, a bottom wall 26, and a plurality of planks 27 forming a top wall. The float 21 may comprise an airtight flotation compartment or may be completely filled with any desired flotation material.

The float 21 has a frame 28 extending around the upper edge thereof. A gangplank generally indicated at 29 includes an elongated angle iron member 30 extending longitudinally thereof and an angle iron crossmember 31 welded thereto at the shore end of the gangplank 30. A cleat board 32 is secured to the angle iron 30 and to the angle iron 31 at the shore end of the gangplank 29. A cleat board 33 is secured to the angle iron 30 at the outer end of the gangplank 29 and a pair of cleat boards 34 are secured to the angle iron 30 in spaced apart intermediate relation to the cleat boards 32, 33. The cleat boards 32, 33, 34 are all arranged in parallel transversely extending relation with respect to the angle iron 30. A plurality of planks 35 are secured to the cleat boards 32, 33, 34 and extend longitudinally of the gangplank 29. Frame members 36 are arranged on opposite sides of the gangplank 29 and are secured to the cleat boards 32, 33, 34 at opposite ends thereof. Hinges 37 are secured to the planks 27 and planks 35 to hingedly secure the gangplank 29 to the float 20.

A relatively short angle iron bracket 38 is welded to one end of the angle iron 31 and a second angle iron bracket 39 is welded to the opposite end of the angle iron member 31. A stub shaft 40 is welded to the angle iron bracket 38 and to the angle iron 31 to extend laterally beyond the end of the angle iron 31 as can be best seen in FIGURES 4 and 6. A second stub shaft 41 is welded to the angle iron bracket 39 and to the opposite end of the angle iron 31 in axially aligned relation to the stub shaft 40. The stub shaft 41 is provided with cotter key hole adjacent to its end to receive cotter keys 42, for reasons to be assigned.

An elongated angle iron stabilizer bar 34 is positioned with its apex uppermost underlying the inner end of the gangplank 29 and is provided with a pair of upstanding ears 44, welded thereto and positioned to receive and journal the stub shafts 40, 41 which are secured thereto by the cotter key 42 extending through the stub shaft 41. The stabilizer bar 43 is provided with oppositely extending bores adjacent the outer ends thereof to receive anchor pins 46 which pass therethrough and are driven into the ground so that the pair of anchor pins 46 at each end of the stabilizer bar 43 are arranged perpendicularly to each other thus providing anchorage of the stabilizer bar 43 against vertical as well as horizontal movement.

A clip 47 is secured to the float 20 adjacent the inner end thereof at the bottom of the wall 22. The clip 47 has a bore 48 extending vertically therethrough as can be seen in FIGURE 7. A pair of angle iron brackets 49, 50 are secured to opposite ends of the cleat 34 closest to the cleat 32. The brackets 49, 50 are provided with a plurality of bores 51 arranged in horizontally spaced relation. An A-frame stabilizer 52 has its converging ends secured to a pin 53 which depends therefrom and is adapted to be received in the bore 48 of the clip 47. The pin 43 has a cotter key 54 extending through the lower end thereof to secure the pin 53 to the clip 47. The A-frame stabilizer 52 has a crossbrace 55 welded thereto. A pair of stub shafts 56, 57 are secured to the diveregnt ends of the A-frame 54 in axially aligned relation and adapted to project through and be journaled in one of the bores 51 in the brackets 49, 50. The stub shafts 56, 57 are held to the brackets 49, 50 by cotter keys 58 extending therethrough.

A ring 59 is mounted on the outer end of the float 20 and may be used as a handle or as a tie to secure a boat to the portable dock.

The angle of the gangplank 29 with respect to the float 20 can be adjusted by moving the A-frame 52 in the adjustment bores 51 of the brackets 49, 50 to accommodate varying dilferences in level between the bank and the water surface where the portable dock is used. In order to transport the dock from one position to another, the pins 46 are withdrawn and the cotter key 42 in the stub shaft 41 to permit the stabilizer bar 43 to be removed from the gangplank 29. The cotter key 54 is withdrawn from the pin 53 and it in turn is withdrawn from the clip 47. The gangplank 29 is then hinged to the overlying position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 and, in this position, can be inserted into the luggage compartment of the average vehicle. The pins 46 and stabilizer bar 43 may be either loaded separately or may be fastened to the portable dock by any suitable means not shown.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A portable foldable floating dock comprising a. generally rectangular float,

a generally rectangular gangplank of a length substantially equal to said float,

means hingedly securing said gangplank to said float,

a portable stabilizer bar,

means for detachably anchoring said stabilizer bar to the ground,

means hingedly securing the inner end of said gangplank to said stabilizer bar, and

means stabilizing said gangplank with respect to said float to normally prevent relative pivotal movement of said gangplank with respect to said float.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means stabilizing the gangplank with respect to said float comprises an A-frame, means pivotally securing the divergent ends of said A-frame to said gangplank at a point vertically spaced below the means hingedly securing said gangplank to said float, and means detachably securing the convergent ends of said A-frame to said float.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means pivotally securing said A-frame to said gangplank is selectively adjustable to control the angle between said gangplank and said float.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means pivotally securing said gangplank to said stabilizer bar includes a pair of spaced apart parallel upstanding ears rigidly secured to said stabilizer bar, and a pair of stub shafts rigidly secured to said gangplank and journaled in said ears.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means anchoring said stabilizer bar to the ground comprises a pair of stakes arranged at each end of said stabilizer bar and perpendicularly related to each other projecting through the ends of said stabilizer bar and into the ground.

6. The invention as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means anchoring said stabilizer bar to the ground comprises a pair of stakes positioned at each end of said stabilizer bar and arranged in perpendicular relation to each other extending through the ends of said stabilizer bar into the earth.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 3 wherein the means anchoring said stabilizer bar to the earth includes a pair of stakes driven through said stabilizer bar and into the earth at each end of said stabilizer bar with said stakes arranged perpendicularly to each other.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said gangplank includes a longitudinally extending angle iron support, a plurality of spaced apart parallel cleats secured to said support, and a plurality of longitudinally extending planks forming a walk surface secured to said cleats.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,715,314 8/1955 Smith 61l48 2,948,121 8/1960 Karst 6148 3,043,109 7/1962 Erickson 6148 3,096,623 7/1963 Laird 6148 FOREIGN PATENTS 621,627 8/ 1963 Belgium. 1,362,584 4/ 1964 France.

JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner 

